Emerging Media Studies Graduate Programs
The fusion of creative and critical thinking.
Master of Arts in ATEC: Emerging Media Studies Pathway
The Master of Arts in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) degree program serves as a breeding ground for creative practitioners, scholars, and interdisciplinary researchers. Students immerse themselves in foundational theories and methodologies underpinning technology and media studies while delving into contemporary debates in these fields.
Designed for individuals seeking advanced study in technology and media or aiming to take the first step towards a PhD in related fields, the MA program is led by internationally recognized faculty and features course offerings in media studies, interactive media, and computer-based arts.
Students entering the MA in ATEC program’s Emerging Media Studies pathway explore the social, cultural, and political implications of digital media and technologies using media and cultural studies methods.
In their first year, Emerging Media Studies master’s students take courses that introduce them to the core approaches and methods in the field. Then, they move on to electives on topics that include surveillance studies, global media studies, critical making, aesthetics and techniques of interactive arts, tactical media, and many others. In their final semester, students write a master’s thesis that demonstrates their original research and thinking.
Students can expect small seminars, individual faculty mentoring, a vibrant graduate student community, small awards for conference travel, and many opportunities to participate in the Bass School’s multiple labs, studios, and other spaces for critical and creative collaboration.
Beyond academic rigor, MA students can further their teaching skills through teaching assistantships, showcase their work at conferences through competitive scholarships, and immerse themselves in the intellectual vibrancy of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology.
The Emerging Media Studies master’s program prepares its graduates for careers in media, law, and policy; in social justice and advocacy work; in investigative research and journalism; in broadcasting; in social media and public relations; in teaching, both at the higher ed and high school level; and in administrative work for cultural organizations. Our MA students have also gone on to prestigious PhD programs, including the University of Illinois, Texas A&M, and UT Austin.
The typical time to complete the program is two years. You can learn more about policies and procedures here: List of Graduate Degree Program Policies and Procedures.
| Program Type | Master’s |
| Format | On campus, full- and part-time options are available |
| Estimated Time to Complete | 2-3 years |
| Semester Credit Hours | 36 |
Scholarships & Awards
Meet Professors You Will Never Forget
ATEC program faculty include world-renowned artists, scholars, and creative practitioners. Their diverse areas of expertise ensure that graduate students gain knowledge of breadth and depth. Our professors publish with the nation’s leading academic presses, hold patents in design, and are recognized as pioneers by peers in their field.
Areas of Faculty Research & Publishing
Applied media studies and remix culture; border studies; critical ethnic and race studies; critical making; digital humanities, including digital health humanities; disability and crip studies; feminist studies; game studies; infrastructure studies; literary studies; media studies and cinema studies; mobile media; new media arts and new media arts and education
Art-Based Research & Creative Practice
We believe if you can imagine it, we can make it. Our lab and studio culture blends art, technology, design, engineering, science, and the humanities to create an incubative environment rich with possibilities. Collaboration is the heart of the Bass School. Learn how faculty, students, art-based research, and creative practice are connected.
Contact Information
Laura Beltz Imaoka
Associate Professor of Instruction and Area Head
Phone: 972-883-7597
Email: Laura.Imaoka@utdallas.edu
Office: ATC 2.509
Larrlenski Jackson
Graduate Academic Advisor
Phone: 972-883-6311
Email: larrlenski.jackson@utdallas.edu
Office: ATC 1.606
Graduate Advising
Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31
800 W. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Phone: 972-883-4706
Email: ahtgradvising@utdallas.edu
Office of Admission and Enrollment
800 W. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
972-883-2270 or 1-800-889-2443
admission@utdallas.edu
utdallas.edu/enroll